RACING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 608, 11 December 1909, Page 3

RACING.

NOTES BY "EARIyY BIRD."

MOSTLY ABOUT WOOD-

VILIvE

Woodville Club were favoured with beautiful weather and large attendances for their Spring fixture. The specials trom Palmerston were largely patronised, and as a result, speculation was brisk. Certainly the tote figures showed a decrease as compared with the corresponding meeting last year, but the increased bookmakers fees more than made up the deficiency in the Club's revenue. The Auckland heads think the Railway a moral for Salute.

Trainer Bill Davis has got hold of a promising sort in First Battery, make no error !

Rangipapa was very gross on Thursday, and was at any old price. But his time will come ! Toney Messena's Ashurst Guineas candidate is going along the right way to suggest itself as a likely winner of the blue riband. Notorious has been troubled for some time with a " knee," but the surf bathing he is being subjected to may enable him to face the barrier at Awapuni. Shannon L,ass was very well at Woodville, and, with a pull in the weights from a field of moderates, won a elter in convincing style. She is very well just now, a fact which should be remembered.

Arthur Olliver was on top of several winners at Woodville. This brilliant horseman intends to don the colours at Manawatu and district meetings during the holiday season, in preference to attending the Ellerslie fixture, where he may have been fully engaged. Pukewai, the much boomed Wairarapa quadruped, will win shortly—nothing surer ! He does not find his legs properly until he has gone a furlong or two, but was finishing very strong in the Scurry on Thursday. A seven furlong course should suit him admirably. The Foxton trained Himitangi has a lot to learn at the jumping caper. At Woodville, spectators imagined he was trying to reach the moon —so high did he leap. He showed some pace, but needs a little more experience at the obstacle game before he can be proclaimed a winner. . Waikaraka is a sour tempered customer, and gave Charley O'Connor no end of trouble at the barrier on Thursday. No sooner would the starter get him lacing the barrier nicely than the chestnut would turn completely round and disturb the rest. This repeatedly, but finally the team were sent away in beautiful line. Wilson's charge was caught in a galloping humour and won with a lot in hand.

Theodore, whose two year old career on the turf was full of brilliancy, and whom E- J. Watt parted 800 odd guineas for, is striking form at last. The son of Merriwee won handsomely at Woodville, and may be depended on to go on winning. The shapely nag may catch anything at all. The Auckland Railway may be a rod in pickle. However, keep Theodore in mind, and you will show a profit ! Molock, who won the principal event, was perhaps in his best possible form, which he proved second day by running such a true second to Waikaraka. The son of Mauser is generally regarded as unreliable, but Woodville performances entirely disproves such a theory, and goes to show that when any equine is well at heart, they may be depended on to race true. There is an exceptional rogue—(to wit, Rohepotae and those of hi? vile temperament) — but Molock can hardly be classed in that category.

There are those who aver' that Sir Antrim defeated Kilindini at Woodville first day, but you can stake your surplus hemp cash that Judge Hartgill made no mistake. In such close finishes there is always diversion ot opinion, but the man in the box is in the only true position to judge correctly, and when that judge is the strongly principled Hartgill, it is a thousand to a gooseberry that his keen eye makes no mistake. Sir Antrim was well up with the leaders in the straight second day. This brother of Soult may be better suited over a longer course, and should be just ripe about Xmas time.

Old Lord Soult was turned out at Feildiug in great condition by the " cripple faker," Alf. Wright, and, after defeating his field pointless in the Stakes, the bay pony pulled up more sound on his crook leg than ever he did in his life. The Manawatu Stakes is the next mission of the Foxton pony, and it is safe to say he will give that ,£SOO stake a big shake. What a marvel the "flying cripple" is? It certainly looks as if this wonder of the turf will be bobbing up serenely.and winning races long after the brook ceases to flow its crystal liquid.—" Early Bird" in tt 2 Waimate Witness. When a sport's luck is out, it is out with a vengeance. In conversation with Ormond's first call, Freddy Jones, at Woodville, on Thursday, that gentlemanly horseman informed the present scribe that he had up till then had 20 successive mounts without registering a victory. But he fully expected to break his spell of bad luck in the Maiden Scurry on Merrie Lawn, who had been doing brilliant track work. However, fate was against him, and his mount got dealt with in the early stages of the event, which knocked the steam out of the prad, who finished just outside a place. Fred Jones is engaged at Auckland Xmas time, and the tide is sure to turn for the better shortly.